He’s a good kid

[StuckInBamaVol]

College football fans have some wildly unrealistic expectations about player loyalty these days.

The truth is, college athletes today are professionals — just like the rest of us. They’re being paid (through NIL, stipends, and scholarships) to do a job. And just like the rest of us, they’re allowed to make career decisions based on what’s best for them — not what makes fans feel good inside.

For all we know, a lot of them hate aspects of their “job” just like you. Long hours. Pressure. Unreasonable bosses. Sacrificed time with family. Injuries. Stress.

And let’s be real: Most of us would leave our jobs tomorrow if someone else offered better pay, better conditions, or a better shot at our dreams.

Yet we expect 19-year-olds — who have an extremely short window to maximize their career — to be “monogamously loyal” to a university?

It’s not 1985 anymore. Loyalty is great when it’s mutual — but business decisions are not betrayal. They’re survival.

If you wouldn’t stay at your job out of “loyalty” while getting underpaid and underappreciated, maybe cut these athletes some slack too.

I think you’re missing the part about wanting to sit out a play off game, taking first team reps during spring practice knowing he was going to leave and not showing up for practice or the o and w game.

Fans are mad, not about being loyal really, more of how he went about trying to get more unearned money in a shady way.

 

[Arrested Devolopment]

Nico and his family are SEP now: Somebody Else's Problem. Time to move on dot org.

 

[DaddyChad]

Nico never cared about Tennessee. We met his NIL demands so he committed. Looking back, the G-wagon photoshoot was the writing on the wall. The sad part is we don't really know if it's him or his dad who is so money hungry. Someone said his dad is Lavar Ball without the charm, sound about right.

Doesn’t sound like either gave a damn about Tennessee. You got several guys across the country that show up at autograph sessions, go to hospitals to see kids, represent the program in a positive light everywhere they go; this guy wasn’t it, never was going to be. Annoying that we paid him what 6 million to be a turd. Talent and character is what we have to target from now on at QB, whether it be through portal or high school.

 

[cgrish]

To bad he is 6'6 190lbs.

And the number 3 rated qb in the country

 

[Carl Pickens]

If you ever changed jobs for a raise, your post is utter hypocrisy.

Nico didn’t get a raise bro…. What’s that make your post? Eh?

 

[DonDiego]

Okay, since we're venting about Nico, and since we may be banned from doing that soon if some posters on here have their way, I want to mention something that's driving me crazy.

If I have to read one more time about how Nico led us to our first playoff series, I'm going to puke. It was because the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams! If we had that when Hooker was QB, we would have been a home team, and possibly gotten a bye. How many of our teams would have been in the playoffs if it had been open to the top 12 all along? No glory there for him.

 

[Alto1]

Okay, since we're venting about Nico, and since we may be banned from doing that soon if some posters on here have their way, I want to mention something that's driving me crazy.

If I have to read one more time about how Nico led us to our first playoff series, I'm going to puke. It was because the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams! If we had that when Hooker was QB, we would have been a home team, and possibly gotten a bye. How many of our teams would have been in the playoffs if it had been open to the top 12 all along? No glory there for him.

This^

Plus the fact our defense and Dylan Sampson toted most the load.

Btw, how many quarters/halves was it that Nico lead us to ZERO points?
Too many!!!!

 

[Headed For Home]

College football fans have some wildly unrealistic expectations about player loyalty these days.

The truth is, college athletes today are professionals — just like the rest of us. They’re being paid (through NIL, stipends, and scholarships) to do a job. And just like the rest of us, they’re allowed to make career decisions based on what’s best for them — not what makes fans feel good inside.

For all we know, a lot of them hate aspects of their “job” just like you. Long hours. Pressure. Unreasonable bosses. Sacrificed time with family. Injuries. Stress.

And let’s be real: Most of us would leave our jobs tomorrow if someone else offered better pay, better conditions, or a better shot at our dreams.

Yet we expect 19-year-olds — who have an extremely short window to maximize their career — to be “monogamously loyal” to a university?

It’s not 1985 anymore. Loyalty is great when it’s mutual — but business decisions are not betrayal. They’re survival.

If you wouldn’t stay at your job out of “loyalty” while getting underpaid and underappreciated, maybe cut these athletes some slack too.

This post might mean something IF Nico had been underpaid or unappreciated. He was not

 

[Sivad]

Some of us ( I emphasize us) take longer to "grow up" than others. I admit to myself at my advanced age (over 80) looking back parental influence played a huge part in my life. The effects? Well that's another story.

When I was 21 I was a man but still thought much like a kid. I was on my own, making my own decisions but most of them were stupid. It wasn’t until my son was born that I actually grew up. I say this because it wasn’t until he was born when I began to think about others more than myself

 

[VolPack22]

Okay, since we're venting about Nico, and since we may be banned from doing that soon if some posters on here have their way, I want to mention something that's driving me crazy.

If I have to read one more time about how Nico led us to our first playoff series, I'm going to puke. It was because the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams! If we had that when Hooker was QB, we would have been a home team, and possibly gotten a bye. How many of our teams would have been in the playoffs if it had been open to the top 12 all along? No glory there for him.

We definitely would not have gotten a bye. You have to win your conference championship in order to qualify for a bye. We would have been hosting Kansas State though, which we almost surely would have won. Our reward would have been a rematch with Jawja.

 

[savannahfan]

When I was 21 I was a man but still thought much like a kid. I was on my own, making my own decisions but most of them were stupid. It wasn’t until my son was born that I actually grew up. I say this because it wasn’t until he was born when I began to think about others more than myself

I too started to "mature" when I looked through the glass window at my first born. I have said to many who have asked of the experience what I saw and felt. I have in all honesty stated "I felt a very heavy weight settle on my shoulders". (Which by the way is still there to some extent for all three of our kids. Who are grown more successful than I ever was and are starting to need to look after ME!! )

 

[JBVolunteer]

This post might mean something IF Nico had been underpaid or unappreciated. He was not

Imagine being a 20 years old, and the people you trust most are telling you that you’re leaving millions of dollars on the table. Not because you’re not good enough — but because the market is shifting fast and your value is climbing.

Nico didn’t leave Tennessee because he felt underappreciated or because $2.6 million wasn’t “enough.” He left because the trusted voices around him believed $4 million was closer to what he should be getting.

It may end up being a bad financial move. That’s absolutely fair to point out. Maybe there were other factors too — personal, academic, even just wanting a fresh start.

But step back for a second: Tennessee fans expected a playoff run. UCLA had one of the worst offenses in the country and nowhere to go but up.

If you’re Nico, and the people you trust are telling you that you can get paid more and be the centerpiece of a rebuild where expectations are lower… are you sure you wouldn’t at least think hard about it too?


It’s easy to criticize decisions when they don’t work out perfectly. It’s harder to recognize that, at the time, they probably felt like the smartest move in the world.

 

[TartanTurff]

Keep seeing this take and it's just laughable. Ridiculous. TN has had plenty of good recruits come from CA. Let's keep politics out of football. If a kid can play at a high level I really don't care where he's from.

Has nothing to do with politics, you selectively snipped the last part of the post to fit your left coast narrative and interject politics where none were intended nor identified. Talented kids from all over the country can all play at Tennessee and play well, if they have played in the competitive 5, 6 and 7 A levels where the speed, agility and strength of their high school competition are a precursor of what they will see in the SEC.

The full sentence noted that "Hopefully Huepel will not recruit any more kids from California unless they play at the higher levels of the high school leagues."

The Nico experiment failed and failed miserably, as he was not as talented a football quarterback as we thought, primarily given the lack of any meaningful accomplishments or experience at the higher levels of the California high school leagues. The Nico apologists blamed it on a red shirt year, rather than simple lack of ability, skillset and development to play at the SEC level. From all indications, Huepel, in parting ways with Nico fully recognized the lack of development, lack of familiarity, lack of the necessary skill set which had been demonstrated throughout the 2024 season, letting the much balleyhooed recruit head off any direction that he could find in the portal. Huepel made the correct decision to part ways, whether or not he made the correct decision in signing Nico will be debated as the coming season actually unfolds.

 

[DaddyChad]

Nico didn’t get a raise bro…. What’s that make your post? Eh?

You’re ruining his metaphor…..

Nico didn’t just quit, tired of minimizing the “kid’s” culpability. Kid leveraged the program in the most predatory fashion possible. Kid also had skirted every responsibility that came with his NIL deal. Basically told Tennessee they could pay him to continue not to fulfill his obligations NILwise or be left scrambling for a starting QB. I completely and totally endorse someone getting paid and even asking for more money but there’s a way to do so with integrity and a way to do it without. People that negotiate in a certain way should never be entertained or dealt with again period.